Light floor construction for skyscrapers



June 14, 1932. A. H. TASHJIAN LIGHT FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR SKYSCRAPERSFiled Nov. 2O, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l dii@ KNT June 14, 1932. A. H.TAsHJlAN LIGHT FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR SKYSCRAPERS Filed Nov. 20, 1930 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mfrWW/.i NN/ 4K NN www k Patented .lune 14, 1932 UNITEDSTATES PATENT GFFIQ 'T .ARMEN H. TASHJ'IAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIOApplication led November 20, 1930. Serial No. 496,961.

This invention relates to a light floor construction for buildings,particularly buildings of the steel frame skyscraper type, which arenormally subjected to lateral wind pressures.

vOne ofthe well recognized factors in the design of tall buildingstructures is to develop in the structure resistance adequate towithstand wind stresses. Part of such resistance is taken care of by thestructural steel framework of the building, but a portion of it has tobe taken care of by the floor panels which act as diaphragms or plates,to resist horizontal or lateral distortion of the struc- 33 turalframework. It is important, therefore, that the floor panels be of suchform as to rigidly support and brace the adjacent steel framework insuch manner as to effectively resist any tendency for such horizontal orflateral distortion.

In tall structures, it is of the utmost importance that the componentparts be of light weight so as to reduce to a minimum the load carriedby the building. Much of this lightness may be gained in theconstruction of the iioors of the building.

One of the lightest types of floor construction now in use is theso-called bar-joist construction. In this construction, light weight 3Usteel trusses are so arranged that their bearing ends ride freely uponthe structural steel framework of the building, and supported by these joists is a concrete slab, suitablyT reinforced, and usually of athickness of from 35' two to four inches. In this construction, it

is obvious that the structural steel framework beneath and carrying theHoor is free to distort laterally, as no means is provided for resistingsuch distortion.

740' One of the objects of my invention is to provide a. light floor ofthe so-called bar-joist construction type in which means are providedfor effectively resisting this horizontal or lateral distortion. Anotherobject of the invention is to provide in a floor of this type integralcross bridging elements, which will not only aid in preventing lateralor horizontal distortion, but will also effectively prevent buckling ofthe floor structure due to such horizontal distortion.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a floorstructure having the characteristics referred to may be easily andeconomically constructed.

The invention consists in a relatively light weight and thin panel floorconstruction for buildings, in which each floor panel is provided at itsedges with downwardly fia-ring aprons bonding the ends of the floorjoists and the members of the building framing ad- G' jacent thereto, tothus form an inverted traylike panel the aprons or flanges of which forma rigid distortion-preventing bearing against the adjacent members ofthe building framing, and each panel is also provided U5 with anintegral bridging member, preferably in the form of a depressed. web,arranged transversely relatively to the floor j oists and merging intothe floor aprons at its ends to aid in preventing lateral distortion andto prevent buckling of the thin panel, as will be hereinafter moreparticularly explained and finally claimed.

In the accompanying` drawings illustrating the invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure l is asectional plan view of one complete floor panel and a part of anadjacent panel of a ioor structure constructed in accordance with theinvention, portions thereof being broken away in the interest ofclearness.

F ig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig.l. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3 3 ofFig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary S5 sectional detail of thebridging web taken on the line 4 4: of Fig. i.. Fig. 5 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional perspective view of the members for providing thefloor panel aprons. 9U

The steel framework of the building includes the usual columns l,longitudinal tiebeams 2 and transverse girders 3. Arranged in suitablespaced relation between the longitudinal beams 2 are the joists 4, thebearing 90 ends 5 of which restupon the transverse girders 3.

These joists, in the form illustrated (see particularly Fig. 5) comprisetop chord members 6 of channel form and bottom chord m0 and spanning theVspaces between them, Vare arranged pan-like deck members 12 preferablycorrugated, as indicated at 13, to strengthen them and form a means fortheir intimate bonding with the concrete later applied, and having theirends downturned as indicated at 141 to engage in the channels of the topchord members. Holes 15 are provided adjacent to the abutting edges ofthe deck members for the passage of wires 1G by which the deck membersmay be fastened to each other and to the top chord members 6 of thejoists 4.

These deck members 12, together with the apronsl and cross bridgingmembers hereinafter referred to form a complete deck for the panels, andprovide a casting surface upon which the concrete 17 is poured.Mereover, the deck members form a rigid deck for mechanics to work on.

At preferably the transverse center of each panel a space is left in thesurface formed by the deck members, and in this space and supported bythe deck members 13, as shown in Fig. 4, l position a plurality ofoverlapping form members 18 arranged to form a mold for the transversebridging web 19.

Adjacent to the Vends of the joists are arranged overlapping formmembers 2O provided with cutouts 21 and 22 to embrace the top and bottomchord members, respectively, of the joists. These form members 2O havehook-like upper ends 23 adapted to hook into the depressions formed bythe corrugations 13 of the deck members. The lower edges of the formmembers 20 are turned outwardly as indicated at 24, and are providedwith holes 25 by which they may be nailed or otherwise affixed to thefire-proofing 26 of the girders 3. The form members 20, when thusarranged, provide a means for castingthe down flaring transverse aprons27 which abut against the girders 3 and are bonded therewith and withthe ends-'of the joists Ll. Form members 28 similar to the form members20 are arranged with their hooked upper ends 29 engaging the flanges ofthe top chord members of the adjacent joists, as shown in Fig. 3. andtheir outturned bottom edges 30 secured to the firenrooiing 31 of thebeams 2. rlhese form members provide a means for casting thelongitudinal aprons 32 which abut against and are bonded with the beams2.

With the form members 12, 18, 20 and 28 properly arranged, as described,the concrete 17 of the floor panel is poured, thus forming an integralfloor panel slab 33 provided vwith an apron flaring downward from theplane of the slab and surrounding the panel upon its four sides andabutting against and bonded to the beams 2 and girders 3, and anintermediate transverse bridging web 19 extending between and bonded tothe beams 2.V

By thus forming the floor panels with oft'- standing or flaring vapronsat their perim- .eters, such aprons abutting against and bonded to theadjacent frame members or girders of the structural framing of thebuilding, it will be seen that a very rigid though relatively lightconstruction is obtained. Moreover, the aprons 27 and 32 and thebridging web 19 provide such horizontal or transverse rigidity in theseveral panels of vthe floor structure that horizontal or transversedistortion of these panels andV of the frame of the structure will beprevented.

Moreover, the form and manner of arrangement of the form members 12, 18,2O and 28 is such that the slabof the panel may be cast with ease andeconomy.

Obviously suitable reinforcing rods, such as those indicated at 34 maybe provided in the bridging web 19, and otherreinforcing elements suchas wire mesh or the like suitable material may be incorporated in otherportions of the slab of the'panel as desired.

Various changes are contemplated as within the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is 1. A floor panel for buildings, including a structuralframework and a slab of plastic material. said slab provided at itsedges with aprons flaring from the plane of theslab and with a bridgingweb intermediate said aprons, said aprons and web providing a means forwithstanding lateral pressure applied to the building.

2. A floor panel for buildings of steel frame type, including astructural framework of bar-joist type carried by the frame of thebuilding, and a slab of plastic material carried by said framework andprovided at its edges with aprons Haring from the plane of the slab andbonded with said building frame and panel framework, said apronsproviding a means of reinforcing said floor panel and building frameagainst laterally applied pressure.

3. A floor panel for buildings of steel frame type, including astructural framework comprising a plurality of longitudinally arrangedmetallic joists supported by the building frame and a slab of plasticmaterial applied to and carried by said joists, said slab provided atits perimeter with aprons flaring' from the plane of the slab and bondedwith said building frame and structural framework, and provided alsowith a transverse bridging web, said aprons providing a means ofwithstanding pressure applied laterally to the building and said webadapted to prevent buckling of said panel.

Il. A floor structure for steel frame buildings, including a pluralityof floor panels as determined by the building frame, each of said panelscomprising a plurality of longitudinally arranged metallic joistssupported at their ends by members of the building frame, and a slab ofplastic material carried by said joists, each slab having at itsmarginal edges a downwardly Haring integral apron, bonded with saidjoists and with the adjacent building frame members, and each slabhaving also a transverse bridging web bonded with said `ioists and withmembers of said building frame, said aprons and webs providing a lateralbracing for said panels and for the building frame to resist windpressire to which the building may be subjecte 5. A floor panel forbuildings, having a supporting framework, and a cast slab of plasticmaterial provided with flaring marginal aprons and a transverse bridgingweb, said framework including joists, deck members carried by saidjoists and on which said slab is cast, and form members complemental tosaid deck members and providing forms for said aprons and web, wherebysaid slab including said aprons and web may be cast integrally.

6. A floor panel for buildings, having a supporting framework, and acast slab of plastic material provided with Haring marginal aprons, saidframework including joists, deck members carried by said joists and onwhich said slab is cast, and form members complemental to said deckmembers and providing forms for said aprons, whereby said slab andaprons may be cast int-egrally.

7 A floor panel for buildings, having a structural framework includingjoists and deck members, and a superimposed slab of plastic materialcast upon said deck members, form members arranged at the edges of saidframework and cooperating with said deck members, said slab provided atits edges with aprons cast on said form members and flaring from theplane of said slab, said aprons providing a means for withstandinglateral pressure applied to said floor panel.

8. A Hoor structure for buildings, including a plurality of lloorpanels, each of said panels having a structural framework supported bythe frame of the building and including joists and deck members and asuperimposed slab of plastic material cast upon said deck members, formmembers arranged marginally of said panels and cooperating with the deckmembers thereof, said slabs provided at their perimeters with apronscast on said form members and flaring from the ARMEN H. TASHJ IAN.

